Gulen attempting to incite chaos in Turkey: Erdogan

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again accused US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen of attempting to incite chaos in Turkey ahead of key local elections.Erdogan made the remarks in an election rally in the town of Manisa on Sunday,

describing Gulen as the leader of “neo-Ergenekon.” Ergenekon was the name of an organization with links to Turkey’s military which Erdogan accused of attempting to topple his government.Several people including military officials and opposition lawmakers have been convicted of involvement in the Ergenekon plot since trials began in 2008.“We fought with Ergenekon and now we will fight with the neo-Ergenekon in Pennsylvania. They say that he (Gulen) lives in seclusion there. If you want seclusion, come to your country,” Erdogan said.People in Turkey will cast their ballots in local elections on March 30, which is the first vote since a corruption scandal broke out against Erdogan’s government in December.Erdogan has repeatedly accused Gulen and his movement of being behind the corruption scandal and attempting to create a “parallel state.”Gulen’s Hizmet (Service) movement was a main supporter of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) when it came to power 11 years ago. The alliance, however, shattered after dozens of Erdogan’s political and business allies were arrested in police raids in a graft probe in December 2013.On December 25, 2013, Erdogan announced a major cabinet reshuffle, replacing 10 ministers, including the economy, interior, and environment ministers, who had resigned from their posts after their sons were arrested in the scandal.